Bracewell joins Saddlers

Former Sunderland midfielder Paul Bracewell has joined fellow Division One club Walsall as first team coach - with Sunderland due to play the Saddlers in less than two weeks.

Manager Colin Lee's assistant, Mick Halsall, has taken up a position as Head of Youth Coaching at the club at his own request.

Lee said, "Paul has a wealth of experience in the game, both as a player and as a coach, and his knowledge will be invaluable to us."

Bracewell himself said, "I can't wait to get stuck into the job - it's great to be back involved in day-to-day coaching."

Paul began his career as an apprentice at Stoke City, moving to Sunderland in the summer of 1983 for £250,000 - he stayed for a year, clocking up 44 appearances and scoring four times.

We then sold him on to Everton for £425,000 but five years later he was back; he stayed for three years until the summer of 1992 appearing 139 times, but left for Newcastle where he stayed until 1995 when he saw the light and returned to Sunderland. In his final spell with us he stayed for just over two years, putting in 89 appearances.

After that he went to Fulham, as a player initially then as assistant manager to Kevin Keegan, then as manager in his own right when Keegan left to manage England. He was replaced by Jean Tigana at Craven Cottage, and headed to Halifax where he was in charge for 10 months.